Love breaking through time
by Mardre Ebridge
Summary: The year is 2012 and Allerdale Hall has been turned into a university. Norah Wells enrolls and begins to experiences strange things. Her dreams are plagued by a man, who seems to be from another century. She becomes enthralled by him and tries to investigate who he is. What she discovers about him, and about herself, is shocking.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: First of all, a special thanks to everyone who has read my first story; Between Innocence and Danger. I was overwhelmed by the response. Now, why post a second story? Because BIAD is coming to an end shortly. Also, this storyline wouldn't leave me alone. As the summery says: The year is 2012 and Allerdale Hall has been turned into a university. Norah Wells enrolls and experiences strange things almost immediately. Her dreams are plagued by a man, who seems to be from another century. She becomes enthralled by him and tries to investigate who he is. What she discovers about him, and about herself, is shocking.**

 **Love breaking through time**

 **Chapter One**

 _ **Welcome to Allerdale Hall**_

Despite the fact that Norah Wells loved her best friend Liane Davis dearly, there were times when she wanted to slap her silly. This was one of those times.

"I can't believe we're going to be apart for so long. I mean, what if he finds someone else in the meantime? Ugh, why study when it's much more fun to cuddle with your other half."

It wasn't the first time Norah had heard Liane make these comments about her current boyfriend. She talked a lot about him and his wandering eye. Them being apart didn't exactly ease Liane's mind. Norah knew guys like Matthew Anderson very well; they loved the chase and the final conquest. After they had gotten what they came for, they got bored very easily. Matthew was almost at his 'getting bored' stage. Usually Norah would tell Liane she deserved so much more, but one; she had already tried and two; the fact was that Liane was kind of the same. Every two months there was a new boyfriend around the corner whom she swore was 'the one.' So Norah's guess was that after a few weeks of Allerdale Hall, Liane would be just fine with a man from university.

Norah sighed. Love was an overrated concept. Why waste your good mood and future career on a man? Liane had broken so many hearts over the years, and had had her own heart broken. It was all the girl worried about; being on the arm of some hot guy and flaunt. She cared about her grades a lot less. It had been a miracle that in the end, she had finally studied hard enough to get accepted to Allerdale. Norah chose not to join that club of guy chasers. She had been friends with Liane for a long time, but she was not afraid to put her foot down when it came to finding her own path in life and not participating in what 'everybody else was doing.'

"You'll see each other soon. Haven't you already made plans to visit him in three weeks?"

"Yes, but that takes too long! Oh you wouldn't understand. Men don't matter to you. That's what you tell me."

Norah bit her tongue and stared out of the window of the bus that was driving them. Allerdale Hall came into view in all its' glory. It was truly stunning. From what she had heard about it, the main entrance was the oldest part of the entire university. It used to be a mansion of some sorts and a baronet had lived there. She loved anything related to Victorian ages, so she guessed this would really please her.

"Maybe the right guy just hasn't come along yet, you know. One of these days, a man is going to matter to you," Liane told her.

"Maybe, but I think I'll graduate first before I let myself lose my head."

"Allerdale Hall is quite pretty."

Norah felt 'pretty' didn't do the buildings any justice. Jaw dropping was a better word for when it came to the old carvings Allerdale Hall had to offer.

"I've got this feeling, Norah. Allerdale Hall is going to make you fall in love. Hard."

"Yes, these buildings are so fascinating."

Liane rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about the buildings." Norah almost sat with her nose pressed against the window, trying to get a better view. There was something about that place… She couldn't quite put her finger on it. It almost felt like some kind of déjà vu, but that was insane. She had never been in northern England in her life.

"We're here!" the bus driver announced.

Norah and Liane took their belongings and exited the bus, before gazing up at the enormous structure in front of them. "Wow," Liane whispered in awe. Wow indeed, Norah thought. It was even more imposing up close and personal. The front doors opened to them, and they slowly set foot inside. "Has an aristocrat lived here? I mean, the people inhabiting this place back in the day must have had some serious money!"

"From what I've read, it was inherited by a baronet and a Lady, but they were penniless. That's what caused this main building to be sold to the city, and they turned it into a university in the end."

"Pity. I was already having wild imaginations about a hot, rich aristocrat performing deprivation on the ladies in this mansion."

Norah laughed at Liane's remark, because for some reason, she was having the exact same thoughts.

"These are your schedules. You're studying classics, right?" the girl behind a makeshift table asked. Norah nodded absentmindedly. "Great. Most of your classes will be in building F. It is just off to the right of this main building. These are the keys to your room. It's on the first floor. Go up the main staircase. It will be on the left side."

The main staircase was sturdy, dark and massive, almost taking up the entire room in the hallway downstairs. The walls were covered in paintings that Norah didn't dare guess about how old they were. Wow, she was born in the wrong era. She loved these things!

The hallway upstairs seemed a bit dark and everything was covered in dark wood. Even the entrance to their room was a massive, wooden door. It creaked when they opened it with their key.

"Well fuck! Would you look at this! I think we're going to handle ourselves just fine here in northern England. Oh my.. Would you check out our bathroom? It's insane! I'm so glad we didn't go to Oxford," Liane hammered on excitedly.

Norah had quite a different feel in this room. She couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but she was overwhelmed with the feeling that she had been here before, just like she had when she had first set eyes on Allerdale Hall. An image flashed before her of a large bed in the middle of the room. There was a candlestick near a chair and…

"What are you daydreaming about? Don't you just love this?" Liane interrupted her thoughts.

Norah looked around and saw the room as it currently was; no large bed, no candles and two twin beds on each side of the room. Where had her mind taken her?

"All right, which bed do you want?" she tried to distract herself.

Liane looked at her with a grin. "Are you kidding me? The one near the window of course! If there's a hot guy on campus, I need to be able to see it!"

Norah made a face. Matthew seemed to be already forgotten. She unpacked and went to put her toiletries in the bathroom, when the sight of the bathtub made her freeze. Lord, there was something very eerie about this. Why were all of these things familiar to her?

She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up when a soft breeze passed by her. Had Liane already opened up a window in here?

"Edith," a voice seemed to whisper in her ear.

Wow, what the hell?! What was that? She quickly whirled around to check out the bathroom, but it was empty. No one was in here except for her. She put a hand to her heart, trying to will it to calm down somewhat. Maybe she was behaving this funny because she had never been so far away from home.

"Norah, there's a welcoming party in the building tonight. Are you coming with me" Liane came bounding into the bathroom.

She was looking at her pleadingly, her eyes big and bright. A small smile played around Norah's lips. She knew when she was being played.

"Oh no," she told her.

"Yes," Liane said decisively. "It's perfect. It'll take my mind off of Matthew and you can relax a bit."

"We still need to unpack our stuff and get settled," she told her.

"Oh come on! We can unpack later. Our first class isn't until tomorrow afternoon. You know you want to. Anyways, you became friends with me so I could order you to have fun. If you had your way, fun would be forgotten."

"All right. I'll go with you. For some reason, this room is giving me a weird feeling."

"You're just feeling homesick. One party and you will be all better. Doctor Liane promises you."

Norah smiled at her friend's antics. Liane could be a bit shallow sometimes, but she was a great friend with a caring heart. She was glad they had both been accepted to Allerdale.

The party started at nine p.m. and was held in the main building in what used to be some sort of basement. They took the stairs down and were met with a crowded room and music blaring from the speakers.

"Let's find you a nice guy," Liane almost yelled with the noise.

"Let's just party."

"Aw party pooper! I want to see you love somebody!"

"I love _you_." Norah joked.

Liane stuck her tongue out at her and began to sway to the rhythm, while Norah made her way through the crowd to get some drinks for them.

"Two cokes, please," she asked as she looked around the room.

If their bedroom upstairs gave her a weird vibe, this room was a thousand times worse. There was a knot in her stomach as she eyed the brick, red walls. From what she had read about this place, the aristocrats that had lived here had tried to live off of what the land had to offer. Of course, the land had nothing much to offer but red clay. In the winter, the red clay would seep through the snow and would make it look like blood. They had called it 'Crimson Peak' back in the day. She could still see the red clay in the walls today. The room was full of it.

Suddenly, she wasn't sitting at the drinks stand in a crowded room anymore. She was standing in the middle of it, eying an elevator at the far end. Since when did this house have an elevator? She had only seen stairs. The room was empty now, save for her, and she saw wells standing on both ends of the room. They were closed off with heavy, iron lids. Her stomach turned at the sight of them. A suitcase of some sorts was standing to the right.

What was going on here? Where were all the people? Was she dreaming?

" _Hey lady! Are you okay?"_

The voice sounded from somewhere in the distance and she closed her eyes. As soon as she opened them, she was back at the party. The guy who was handling their drinks was eyeing her in a funny way. The wells were gone.

"Uhm yes, I'm sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I thought," she apologized. "Thanks for the drinks."

As she made her way back towards Liane she shook her head. It would be better if she slept soundly tonight..

Some hours later, Norah helped Liane up the stairs to their bedroom as best she could. It wasn't easy, but they struggled up one step at a time, all the while Norah cursed the students who had spiked drinks all around tonight. Luckily, she had watched her drinks, knowing what students could be like.

"Keys?" she asked Liane, when they'd finally reached their destination. Liane had held onto the keys for the night. She had left hers inside the bedroom. Maybe that hadn't been the wisest decision.

"Pocket," she mumbled.

Norah delicately reached into her jean pocket and fumbled around trying to get her hand on them. Liane grunted. She finally fished them out, unlocked the door, and then they stumbled through it. When they reached her bed, Liane fell onto it, instantly snoring loudly.

Norah sighed, looking around their bedroom. Well, the first night away from home and it had been strange. She had been daydreaming about the rooms of this building a lot, Liane had gotten drunk and all in all, she felt weird. Like she had thought earlier; maybe a good night's sleep would do her a world of good. Tomorrow would be her first day at university. There was a lot to be excited for.

Quickly undressing, she got into her bed and sighed. She would do just fine here….

" _You'll pay for that," he said to her, pinning her to the cushions behind her in their bed._

" _Pick on someone your own size," she'd told him defiantly._

" _I'll do what I want. You are my wife."_

" _You're a bully."_

" _Who cares?"_

 _He swooped down to kiss her neckline, making her do a sharp intake of breath. He was so seductive. His hands began to wander to improper places. Her breasts were pressed against his naked chest as he carefully licked a path across her clavicle. His fingertips played with her sides._

" _That tickles," she said to him, laughing._

 _He chuckled. "I'll keep in mind that you're ticklish in case I need to punish you."_

" _I'm always a good girl."_

 _"I beg to differ. If I recall correctly, you were anything but good in our small room at_ _the post office._ _"_

 _She blushed furiously, but her eyes stayed on him the whole time._

" _You liked it_ _."_

" _I did. I want you,_ _" he whispered._

" _Then take me."_

 _His fingers wandered further down until they found that place between her legs that burned and ached for him. His thumb pressed down gently between her folds and she cried out._

" _Can you be quiet?"_

" _Yes.._ _Please," she pleaded, as he started building her up. He kissed her gently as his hand played with her. It was more satisfying than she could have imagined. Yes, the post office had been pleasurable. But this… this was all about her and what felt good to her. Her back arched off of the bed in wanton need. She felt so…. Bad._

" _Are you ready?" he asked her._

" _Yesyesyesyes," she babbled._

 _Her mind was lost as he sent her over the edge. When she finally landed back on earth, she gazed at him in a daze. He was so perfect with his dark, curly hair and blue eyes. He leaned forward and buried his face in the crook of her neck._

" _You're mine. My Edith," he whispered in her ear…._

Norah bolted upright in her bed, her heart pounding in her chest. Sweat covered her body as she tried to take in her surroundings. Right, she was at the university now. The room was dark, save for a small speck of moonlight shining through the curtains. Liane was still snoring away her drunken stupor in her bed. Apparently, there was a storm brewing outside, since she could hear branches tapping the window every now and then. The wind made the wood of the building moan and groan.

Norah ran a hand through her hair and took a deep breath. That had been some dream! She could still feel the after effects of it between her… well, a sexy dream like that had its' influence.

The man in it had been so… beautiful was not a right word for a man, but wow! He had been exquisite. The question was how did he end up in her dreams? Who was he? Had she seen a picture of him somewhere? And he had called her….

Suddenly her heart stopped. He had called her Edith, the same name she had heard being whispered in the bathroom. Was it a coincidence? Was her mind playing tricks on her. She had been a little off ever since she had gotten here.

Maybe she had imagined hearing the name and had interpreted it in her dream somehow. She flopped back down onto her pillow. Well, it _had_ been a dream, so there was no need to worry about it. As for the man; all of Liane's pushing her into the direction of a relationship probably had her conjure up a fantasy man. He was some fantasy man, indeed! More like a God with his chiseled features. She grinned to herself. If a man like that ever came around the corner, she would maybe reconsider her vision on love.

With that thought in mind, she went back to sleep. From somewhere in the corner of the room, curtains began to billow as if wind was blowing through it. Both girls slept soundly as a voice sounded throughout the room.

" _Edith…."_

Please leave me your thoughts about this story in a review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** I've thought long and hard about updating this one. I wanted to discontinue it. Don't get me wrong; I'm very grateful for the responses that I get, including the faves and the follows. But I almost gave up when I saw just a handful of people giving me their thoughts on this one. Writing a chapter is hard work. It takes a lot of time and effort. So when hardly anyone responds, you tend to toss it and move on. That is, until a reader of mine contacted me and pleaded with me to continue and complete this one. I'm very grateful to her. So for her and to all of you who showed an interest, here's this story's second chance: chapter two.

 **Chapter Two**

 _ **Haunted**_

Norah clicked her pen distractedly, as she desperately tried to pay attention in class. However, being unable to sleep the whole night through for an entire week now was taking its' toll on her. The dark haired stranger kept on showing up in her dreams, doing things to her that were unspeakable. Not that it bothered her, but it wore her out. It didn't help matters that, on top of not getting enough sleep, she was still having weird hallucinations about Allerdale Hall. The building seemed to plague her to no ends, making it extra hard to study. It annoyed her immensely, since she had come here to be the best of her class. Right now, she couldn't even keep her eyes glued to the teacher, who was explaining things. Instead, she kept glancing out the window towards the main building.

It was a dark and rainy day today, making said building look like something out of a thriller movie. The leave-less trees were swaying in the wind, as the dark skies were creating shadows all around the Victorian structure.

"Miss Wells, can you answer that question for me?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Norah turned towards the teacher in a daze, not having heard what his question was exactly. "I'm sorry?" she said. Some students giggled a bit, as the teacher sighed in irritation. "I do expect you to pay attention in class, Miss Wells. Otherwise you can go and study in the principal's office."

Norah blushed a bit as she mumbled an apology. Liane was sitting next to her, raising her eyebrows at her behavior. It wasn't like her to get distracted in class, Norah was well aware of that. This needed to stop! She needed a good night's sleep and she needed for this Victorian house to back off! Maybe the answer lay with the house; once she solved who the dark haired stranger was and why he and that house seemed so tormented, she could get back to normal. She smiled with her newfound resolve; after school, she would go towards the library. She was sure it had all the information on Allerdale Hall's history.

Once more, she looked out the window. Instead of the pavement surrounding all these buildings, she saw land. Lots of it. The trees she saw before, were gone. Only the main building stood proudly, as the red clay seeped up everywhere. A machine of some sorts stood next to the house; Norah thought it looked like some sort of digging device. Suddenly, she saw a shadow of a man standing next to it. She watched in rapt fascination as he moved around the machine, performing examinations. His clothes seemed like they were from another time. Interested, she leaned a bit closer towards the window. The figure turned around, his body turning towards the building she was in. Norah squinted her eyes as goose bumps suddenly appeared all over her body. Startled, she realized that he was looking directly at her; his eyes staring into hers.

"Norah? Norah!" a hand fell onto her shoulder. Norah whirled her head around towards where her friend was trying to reach her. "What is with you lately? Is your studying suddenly not important anymore? Jeez! Class is over, girl. Time to leave." Norah looked around the classroom to see that it was empty. Confused, she glanced back out the window to see that the man and the machine were gone. The man building wasn't standing on acres of dry land anymore, but was back to being surrounded by pavement and shrubbery. Shaken, she got out of her seat and followed her best friend out of the classroom…

The library was situated in building B, directly next to the building that was quickly beginning to frustrate her. Norah stepped inside and immediately walked up towards the main desk. "I need everything you've got on Allerdale Hall's history." The girl behind the desk looked at her in surprise. "Oh.. Uhm, I need to go and see for a second." Norah watched as the girl walked off towards another woman, explaining to her what she was asked for with wide hand gestures. The other woman nodded and quickly came over to talk to Norah.

"I understand that you've taken an interest in Allerdale Hall? Look, we don't have much from before it became a university, but if you still choose to read about it; there's an old copy of a book in the main isle. I'm afraid it only says something about the structure of the main building; how old it is and such. What do you need it for?"

Norah decided to ignore the woman's question. "I'll take the book then. I've already looked up some stuff online."

"Very well. I'll go and fetch it for you."

After getting the book, Norah sat down at a table. She had also taken her laptop with her to compare some statements about the house. The first thing that came into view was how hauntingly beautiful Allerdale Hall had been late 19th century. The place shone with its' grandeur. Her eyes almost bulged with all the hand-carved arches. Early 1900, the building had begun its' demise. Like she had read online, the baronet whom had lived there had been penniless and had no way to make means to fix a house so grand. She became sad with the idea that the roof had slowly begun to open itself up, letting the circumstances outside do horrors to the interior of the house. Apparently, the baronet had died and the house had been vacant for years. That is, until it became a university in 1960.

What nobody spoke a word about, though, was what had precisely happened to the baronet. Had he become ill? Norah leafed through more pages, but like the librarian had said; there was nothing more but details of how old some things were. The thing Norah was interested in was the history _inside_ the house.

Suddenly, her eye fell onto a picture in the book; it was very vague, but her heart stopped as she took in the contours of the man captured in it. His eyes seemed to stare up at her, as her heart began to thump wildly in her chest. Those eyes… everything was the same; his dark, curly hair… his face and the way he carried himself…. This man was the one who had haunted her dreams! There was a small piece of text next to the picture and she eagerly began to read it:

 _Baronet of Cumberland,_

 _1874-1902_

Wow, so the baronet had died at an early age of 28? Some form of illness of something other must have taken place. Why didn't anyone mention it? The internet didn't fare any better. It only had endless pictures of Allerdale Hall, back then and now. There was some talk about the baronet and his penniless ways, and the fact that he had had a sister. But nothing else…

Norah frowned in disappointment. Well, at least she knew who the man was who had been torturing her with his overwhelming presence at night. But why he kept on showing up in her dreams was beyond her. Maybe she had seen a picture of him a few months before she came to school here. It would certainly explain things, as she had always been fascinated with Victorian ages and stories involving that time period. Maybe this baronet was nothing more than her imagination being overactive. She needed to step out of this fantasy of her and do some actual schoolwork. Maybe, when the time was right, a nice guy would come along for her to lose her heart to. Satisfied with that, she headed back to the main building. What she needed now, was an afternoon nap.

When she arrived back in her room, Liane was nowhere to be seen. Just as well, as Norah could use the quiet. She took off her shoes and lay down on her bed, her eyes slipping shut almost immediately….

 _The room was warm, as the fire place roared with the flames within. He was standing with his back towards her, his shirt off and his suspenders hanging carelessly next to his body. He was absolutely exquisite to her as she studied his lean torso._

" _Thomas?" she heard her own voice whisper to him. He turned around with a gentle smile on his face and walked over to where she was sitting on the bed. She was aroused and he knew it. He climbed up on the bed with her and pushed her on her back, his eyes serious and filled with a consuming need. She watched as his fingers slid up her naked thighs, taking her under dress with them._

 _He nestled himself between her legs until his mouth was on level with whatever was throbbing so deliciously. She was fully exposed to him now, making her blush a fiery shade of crimson._

 _He made a small swipe against her and she arched, overwhelmed by the sensation. He smirked into her skin before teasing her once more with another lick. This was absolutely forbidden, right? Even for a married couple, was it a proper thing to do? She didn't have time to contemplate, as he teased her some more with his tongue._

 _She was whimpering, embarrassed as she almost felt the need to beg him to never stop. Raising her head, she glanced downwards to look at him. The sight almost had her come undone, and she shut her eyes._

 _"Edith." He drawled. "Look at me. Don't you dare close your eyes."_

 _Her breathing quickened and her heart seemed to pummel in her chest, as she felt a bit mortified to watch what he was doing to her. "Thomas, I can't," she groaned as her head fell back against the pillows._

 _Thomas had to grab her hips to keep her steady due to her tremors. She cried out as her released edged on. Then with a mind-blowing swirl, her world started to explode. She was shaking forcefully as her orgasm ripped through her body. Her hands balled up in tight fists as her body was wrecked over and over again._

 _Finally, after what felt like ages, Edith became somewhat coherent again, opening her eyes as her heart rate began to get back to normal._

 _Thomas nuzzled the inside of her thigh, rubbing his cheek against her. "That was absolutely sinful. Isn't there some sort of law against it?" Edith said with a smile on her face. He smirked at her, climbing up her body to look directly into her eyes. "If there is, it'll just have to be a secret between you and me, don't you think?" he answered cheekily._

 _Suddenly, he sat up and looked around the room in worry._

" _What is it?" Edith wanted to know._

 _There was fear in his eyes as he focused on her face again. His hand came up to delicately touch her cheek. "She knows," he whispered in sadness._

 _Edith eyed him with confusion._

" _Who do you mean? What does she know?"_

 _Thomas stepped off of the bed and looked down at the floor, his hands balled into tight fists. "She knows that you're here."_

 _Edith stood up to face him, taking his head in hands. "Wherever you are, I will be."_

 _He smiled, but the sadness never faded. "Yes, that is precisely why you've come back. Only you don't know it yet. But she does. She knows that you're back and she will come after you. I will do my best to protect you. That is why it's time that you know as well."_

 _Edith really couldn't understand what he was saying. Who exactly was he talking about? Why was he afraid of that person? She followed his gaze until her eyes landed on a spot beneath the window sill. She noticed a small space there and it seemed to hide something._

" _Open it. It will reveal all…."_

Norah opened her eyes with a jolt and instantly became horrified over the fact that she was standing in the very same spot as she had been in her dream, eying the window sill. Stone cold fear came over her body as she could only hope that she had been sleepwalking.

"What is happening to me?" she said out loud.

Her gaze kept on drawing back towards that spot that had been so important when she had been asleep. Was there really something there, or was she really going full on crazy now? There was only one way to find out.

She let her fingers glide over the wall beneath said window sill, feeling something beneath the wallpaper. Without even thinking about it, she ripped it from the wall, exposing paneling. One piece seemed looser than the others, though. Maybe, there was indeed something hidden in these walls.

"What in the world's fuck are you doing!"Liane suddenly said behind her.

Norah jumped up, startled.

"Jeez, Liane! Stealthy much? Listen, I honestly don't know. I seem to have been sleepwalking. I woke up with my fingers on the wallpaper."

Well, it had been the partial truth. She _had_ been sleepwalking.

"We're going to have to pay for that, you know? This is property as old as heck! The university will not take this lightly. And since when are you sleepwalking? I've known you since forever and I've never once seen you do it. Studying really seems to be hard on you these days. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"Look, I'll explain to the principal about my sleepwalking. If they want me to pay for it, I will. I just seem to be a bit off ever since I got here. I need a good night's sleep, that's all."

Liane walked over towards her and hugged her from behind. "I worry about you. First in the classroom and now this. No more crazy antics, okay?"

"I promise."

They both left the room to go out and relax, when a voice breathed throughout the space.

" _No….!"_

 _Please hit that button and review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 _ **A link exists**_

All was quiet again at Allerdale Hall, much to Norah's happiness. The dreams and hallucinations seemed to have ceased all together and she had just gotten her first exam back, which was graded with an A. Baronet Thomas was pushed to the back of her mind and things couldn't be better at the moment. This was what she had come here for; to get good grades and be something in life. She didn't need weird dreams about a, albeit, handsome man causing problems for her. Despite the fact that Liane still tried to hook her up with just about any guy across campus, if Baronet Thomas taught Norah anything, it was that men were distracting her from what she wanted out of life.

She still found herself peering towards the paneling that she had pulled the wallpaper from sometimes. It still plagued her to know that there was something behind it. However, she also found that if she ever would delve a little deeper into it, there was no way out of it ever again. She didn't need that. Baronet Thomas and his past would have to stay dead and buried from now on. The school had redone the wallpaper for her after some apologies and that was that.

Right now, it was time for her first trip back home ever since she had gotten here. She had missed her parents dearly. Happily whistling a tune while she was packing, she accidentally knocked over a chair, which fell to the floor with a loud clank.

"Could you leave this place in once piece? We still have to come back a week from now," Liane joked from over where _she_ was packing.

Norah stuck out her tongue, before reaching down to pick up a book and threw it at Liane playfully. Unfortunately, the book flew by Liane and into a painting that was hanging above the mantelpiece. The painting fell down, cracking the glass.

"Ah crap! What is with me?" Norah swore.

"You do realize that we have three more years of being at this godforsaken school before we can move on, right? If you keep busting things up in this room, you are going to fail simply because you can't afford to pay for all the broken things in here anymore, good grades or not."

Norah bent down to grab hold of the painting. Except for the glass, nothing about the painting itself seemed damaged. She would just buy some new glass for it back home. She was ready to put it back up over the mantelpiece, when she noticed something behind the painting itself. A piece of crumpled paper was sticking out of it. Norah pulled at it until it revealed itself to her. She frowned as she saw that it seemed to be an old letter. The writing on the back had faded and the paper itself had turned yellow. Who would put a letter behind a painting?

She shook her head as she realized she didn't have time for this right now. She needed to be all packed up in about ten minutes. If she wanted to know what the letter was, she would have to take it with her. So she did.

Carrying the large suitcase down the stairs and through the front doors, she looked behind her one last time. A shadowy figure watched her from the top of the stairs, but she failed to notice. She smiled at nothing in particular and carried on towards the bus.

A voice began to whisper.

 _Should that link be broken either by distance or by time, my heart would cease to beat and I would die. And you would soon forget about me…._

Norah's arrival back home was warm and joyful, as her mother had made the most perfect Thanksgiving dinner ever. The turkey was stuffed and basted with something that seemed to almost melt in her mouth. Her family was very proud of her for passing her first exam with an A and asked questions about her time at school, which she answered enthusiastically. After dinner, she went to do some dishes with her mother, Diane, in the kitchen.

"So, I talked to Liane somewhat and she said that you seemed a bit distracted in the first couple of weeks. Are you all right?"

Norah scowled. Liane needed to keep some things to herself.

"I'm okay. I guess university just took some getting used to, that's all."

"Are you sure? From the things she described… Not being able to sleep or concentrate… Okay, I know it's not any of my business, but I'm going to ask anyway. Are you seeing some guy?"

Norah rolled her eyes at her mother.

"First, Liane is constantly trying to set me up with some guy and now you're in on it too. Great! Look, I'm not seeing anyone nor am I in love or whatever. I'm way too busy focusing on my courses."

Diane held up her hands in surrender.

"Okay, I got it. No guy. No love. Honey, you know how proud I am of you for being a straight A student and all, but don't forget to have a little fun and relax sometimes. If school is wearing you out…"

"That's not it. I was just having some weird dreams, that's all. I delved a little too deep into the history of Allerdale Hall and became intrigued. It started to plague my dreams, so I stopped reading about it. I'm fine now."

"Okay honey. If you say so. Just know that you can always talk to me if something is bothering you. All right?"

"I will."

Later that evening, Norah was unpacking her things, being chagrined by all the comments about men these days. The truth was, she had never been in love. She hadn't felt that one thing that everybody was singing about in songs. Her stomach had never been in knots and she had never walked into a room just to have the wind knocked out of her as she laid eyes on a man. Of course, dreaming about a baronet that had passed away over a century ago didn't help matters.

Suddenly, her eye fell on the letter she had taken with her from Allerdale Hall, the one behind the painting. Pushing her suitcase from her bed, she sat down in it with the letter in her hand.

Now, what the heck was this again? First, there was something hiding behind the paneling and now, there was a letter in the painting. Had no one ever come across these things while performing construction on Allerdale?

Too curious to even contemplate that this might also have something to do with her mysterious baronet, she opened up the letter. Her eyes scanned over the first few sentences about Baronet Thomas being ordered to leave by the father of Edith. The words had seriously faded over time, but Norah could still make them out. It was the last few sentences that reeled her in:

 _I cannot leave you, Edith._

 _In fact, I find myself thinking of you in the most inopportune moments of the day,_

 _Like as if a link exists between your heart and mine._

 _And should that link be broken either by distance or by time, my heart would cease to beat and I would die._

 _And you would soon forget about me.._

The words on the paper made her heart pound in her chest and her hands began to shake a bit. Those words… She swore she had heard them earlier, being whispered into the hallways of Allerdale Hall. She crumpled the piece of paper in her hand. It seemed to be happening again; she was sucked into a world that didn't belong to her. Thomas and Edith were a thing of the past and she didn't need things popping up about them. Sir Thomas needed to leave her alone!

She threw the letter into her trashcan and settled in for the night. Sleep didn't come easy, of course, as thoughts about why she was being pulled into this plagued her mind. Maybe Sir Thomas hadn't crossed over and couldn't find his love? Maybe that's why he and the house were bothering her. Did he perhaps want her to help him move on? Was Edith lost to him?

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she sank into a restless sleep….

 _The dream was as if a film played in her head. She saw Thomas walking towards her, a hat on his head and a suitcase of some sorts in his hand. She found herself flushed as she watched him, her eyes peering over the top of her glasses. He smiled at her. Next, they were waltzing in a large room, holding up a candle together. Her heart soared as her fingers touched his._

" _You're so different?_

" _From who?"_

" _Everyone…"_

 _She then saw herself walking towards Allerdale Hall, only this time it wasn't a university. It was a mansion. Thomas carried her over the threshold, as they were now husband and wife._

" _The past, Thomas. You're always looking towards the past. You won't find me there. I'm here."_

" _I'm here too."_

 _Then, they were making love on a bed in a small room._

" _I don't want to close my eyes. I want to keep them open."_

 _It felt like heaven to have him inside of her, while she controlled the roll of their bodies against each other. The look on Thomas' face as he watched her during their play was mesmerizing. It conveyed pleasure, yes, but also a whole lot of love._

 _The whole atmosphere shifted after that and she saw herself staring at what seemed to be the ghost of what was once Sir Thomas. His once dark, curly hair was now white and matted to his head. His skin was pale and black smoke billowed up from his face. Her hand went up on its' own accord to touch him. Strangely enough, she felt him beneath her fingertips. He closed his eyes as her fingers brushed across the gash in his face that produced that black smoke. She watched it in fascination as it seemed to cling to her fingers, before disappearing into the air._

" _And should that link be broken either by distance or by time, my heart would cease to beat and I would die._

 _And you would soon forget about me.."_

" _Never. I would never forget you."_

 _Tears streamed down her face as she watched Thomas slowly fade away, realizing that he was dead._

 _"I cannot leave you, Edith…."_

Norah bolted upright in her bed, her heart racing in her chest. God, what was this? She felt tears streaming down her face as she realized she had just watched the death of Thomas, the baronet. It seriously made her feel choked up, as soft hiccups from her cries wracked her body.

This was too much. She couldn't do this anymore! She had just dreamt about the complete love story of another couple. What did this mean?

She got out of bed and went in search of the letter again, now disposed in the trashcan. She took it out and slid her fingers across it, trying to smooth it out. It was then that she felt something else in the envelope, besides the letter. How had she missed this earlier? Carefully, she took it out to see that it was a picture.

Norah turned the picture around slowly. Her eyes opened wide when she saw what was staring back at her. It seemed to be a picture of Thomas and Edith. She squinted her eyes to get a better look, but it was right there in front of her: Edith's clothes were beautiful and periodic. It must have been the fashion of the year. Her body was draped against Thomas, her arm around him and her chin on his shoulder. She was smiling. Norah wasn't smiling. To her, it felt like her own reflection was staring back at her. She gasped as she took in what she was seeing. Her hair, her eyes, the shape of her face. It was all the same. Except the woman in the picture was someone who had died many years ago. But they seemed almost identical.

Norah did the only thing she could do in that moment; she screamed…

Going back to Allerdale Hall after all that she had dreamed about and discovered, was like she was a lamb being dragged into a wolf's den. Of course, if she ever wanted to graduate, there was nothing she could do. She would just have to suck up what she had recently found out and ignore it. Otherwise, she would lose her sanity.

Her parents had come rushing into her room after her bloodcurdling scream, worried about what had happened. Norah had covered up the whole thing by making it seem like she had had a nightmare. It wasn't a far stretch from the truth, though. Everything did seem like a nightmare.

"Is everything all right? You're awfully quiet. I thought you would be excited about going back to university. Studying is what you live for," Liane commented next to her.

Norah saw Allerdale Hall loom up in the distance, making her stomach twist in knots. How could she ever explain this? How could she say that she seemed to be haunted by a ghost who thought of her as his long lost love? Because that's what all of this was, right?

"I'm just sad that vacation is over," Norah explained.

The bus stopped in front of the main building and Norah got out shivering. How would she ever sleep now?

The bus driver unloaded their suitcases. Norah claimed hers and whirled around tiredly, not even bothering to check if someone was standing in her vicinity. Of course, her suitcase plowed into someone, who swore at her to no extent.

"Would you mind?!" the guy yelled.

"Not at all," she gave her smartass retort, before wanting to step inside and just be done with all this. Of course, the guy stopped her, blocking her path.

"I think an apology is in order," he demanded.

Norah sighed irritably, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"Listen bucko…"

The words froze on her lips. The guy in front of her was not only one of the dreamiest men she had ever seen, he also bore a striking resemblance to the man who seemed to be haunting her. The hair was different, since it was shorter and he had curly _blonde_ hair, but the face… it was exactly the same.

She swayed, her legs unable to hold steady any longer. He saw what happened and caught her, just as she was about to drop to the floor.

"Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost," the guy asked worriedly.

Norah wanted to laugh like a hyena at his remark, but couldn't. She could only stare at him. What the hell was happening here!

Then, the guy's friend called him: "Tom! Are you coming or what?"

At the mention of the fact that his name was Tom, her lights went out…..

 **A/N: Yes, I know there will be A LOT of questions now. I guess I'm a sucker for cliff hangers ;) I hope you liked it. Imagine Tom looking like Tom Hiddleston in his daily life (hence the blonde hair), so you can imagine why Norah fainted. LOL! And please review to let me know how you want all of these questions to be answered. They feed my muse. *hugs***


End file.
